Wait For Me
by justalittle l o o n y
Summary: Theresa Rourke sees a childhood friend and sweetheart on the news.


Theresa Rourke sat on the couch in front of the flat screen. She was intently watching the news. According to Logan, it would show the government invading the Brotherhood. The Government had invaded The Institute a couple months ago and she, along with everyone else in the Institute was innocent. She couldn't wait to see what they'd do to someone who actually deserved it. Magneto's Merry Masquerade of Mutants certainly did.

_There! _The reporter finally turned to a heat seeker's footage. Good, the Brotherhood hadn't gotten a tip-off; there were thousands of bodies there. But as the camera switched to live preview, she began to realize something was off. Of course though, Jones had to change channels. "Jones! I was trying to watch that," she yelled, frustrated.

He blinked and the channel switched back, "Sorry." But something had happened while she hadn't been watching. There now stood a man there, laughing and saying, 'Alright. You got me.' The words combined with the man's appearance struck a chord inside of her. Something was familiar about him. Her suspicion was affirmed when the T.V. tuned back to the reporter. 'That was James Madrox,' she was saying, 'a man who can multiply himself. He has, in the past, used his mutant ability to rob banks. He was arrested for these crimes, of course, but he seems to not have learned his lesson. Are all mutants this persistent?'

Ignoring Jones' indignant "We are not!" she stood up, white-faced. She hadn't seen Jamie since Muir Island. She hoped they hadn't arrested him yet; she needed to talk to him. Running at the door to the mansion, she literally fell through someone, luckily Kitty had seen her coming so urgently and phased her through.

Once outside, she bit her lip. How was she supposed to get to the woods? She could fly, but that would take to much energy. Then an idea struck her, she would take Cyclops' old motorbike. In her day as a thief she had learned how to hotwire a car and how to ride a motorcycle so she was set. She grinned and used a technique Uncle Tom had taught her. She simply whistled into the ignition and the engine roared. She put on her helmet and pulled out of the garage.

* * *

She got there within 5 minutes and saw many clones surrounding the area where Jamie was. She glared at the clones and screamed. Not a powerful scream, mind you, but loud nonetheless. Most of them disintegrated, and the ones that didn't, disappeared, presumably absorbed by Jamie. Dashing into the woods, she saw a flashing light. Cops. Running toward them, she saw Jamie putting up a good fight to get away. "Stop," she called. "Please don't arrest my brother, please." Jamie toward her and gave her a look of recognition and confusion. She shook her head at him, _'play along!' _she hissed. "The only reason he tricked you was because Magneto has our parents captive. He didn't want them to die. If Magneto finds out that Jamie failed, he'll-he'll-he'll-" she burst out into dramatic tears.

One female cop looked rather sympathetic, "We're sorry about your parents, but James has broken the law. We have to take him in."

Another cop butted in, "Yeah! How can we be sure you really are siblings? You look nothing alike!"

Jamie seemed to know the program because he spoke up. "We're half siblings. I love my step-mom though, and I was willing to get arrested to save her, and my father. I guess I still am-"

"No!" She blurted out. "Jamie knows Magneto's location, can't he tell you, and trade himself for Magneto?"

The female cop bent down, "Sweetie, I'm sorry about your parents. I guess since your big brother is all you have left, we can let him go, but that address better be accurate. If it isn't, we'll be back for him, okay?"

She nodded her tearstained cheeks. "Okay. But my big brother won't lie!"

Jamie let out a stream of coordinates and a science-y looking geek inputted them into his computer. "The coordinates lead to this location, " he informed them, "let's head there now, before they move again." The lead cop nodded and motioned for the army to get back into the truck. They filed in and drove off.

She dropped the tear-stained façade. "JAMES ARTHUR MADROX!!! What were you thinking?"

He looked sheepish, "Tess, I'm sorry, I just-"

She blew up, "HOW DARE YOU CALL ME TESS AFTER YOU ABANDONED ME AND MS. MACTAGGART? SHE CARED FOR YOU, AND HOW DID YOU REPAY HER? BY RUNNING OFF TO ROB A BANK! YOU you-you-" She broke down sobbing. "How could you leave me behind? I was your Tess, your annoying little friend. You were 14, I was 9. Even though I had given up a life of crime, I would have gone with you, had you asked. Had you asked, I would have walked around the world. That's how much I looked up to you. " Her voice dropped to a whisper, "How much I loved you."

"Look Tess," he ran his hand through his hair regretfully. "I don't want you to look up to me. I'm a crook, a thief. I love you and all, but it just wouldn't work."

Her chin stuck out defiantly, "Oh yeah? Look at Kitty and John. They're on different teams and they've figured out how to make it work. I used to be a crook. Storm used to be a thief. So did Gambit and Rogue. They changed for the ones they loved. Why can't you?"

He looked at her, her reddish blond hair flowing, her eyes sparking sassily, and he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I love you, so I have to let you go. Besides, I'm too old for you. Maybe when you're older, maybe around 22, and I've discovered myself, I'll come back for you." So he kissed her, a sweet simple kiss that would last her for eternity. He pulled away, and she touched her lips, watching him run off into the woods. Gone forever.


End file.
